


Departure

by mikharlow



Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Genre: First Love, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 13:22:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14716874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikharlow/pseuds/mikharlow
Summary: Tobin and Gray spend some time together before leaving Ram Village.





	Departure

**Author's Note:**

> The amount of Graybin fic on here is criminally low so here’s another one for you

Tobin tossed an apple from hand to hand, sheltered under the shade of their tree. The sun bled through the leaves a little, dappling the long grass with gold patches. He gazed out at where the field met the forest as he waited on his friend, his bag already in a pile beside him. He didn’t pack much, despite his mother’s nagging.

He slowed his tossing as he thought of his mother, his many siblings. He had already said goodbye to them, and promised them a safe return, yet it didn’t feel like enough. He supposed that nothing would ever feel like enough, when you were leaving to fight in a war you didn’t even know was happening until that morning.

“Tobes!”

Tobin broke out of his reminiscing at the call of his name. He raised a hand up in a wave. “Hey Gray!”

As Gray drew nearer, Tobin’s smile grew wider. There was something about him that never failed to better Tobin’s mood, when they weren’t arguing about who won a game.

Gray slowed his jog to a stop, wiping sweat off the back of his neck. “Man, it’s hot today.”

“Mmm, it is.” agreed Tobin. “Get under the shade, man.”

Gray shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. We have to leave soon anyway.”

“It’s our tree though. At least say goodbye.”

Gray paused, gave the old oak a long look, and sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.” He sank down against the tree, letting his eyes fall shut as he hit the grass. Tobin joined him, spreading his legs out beside him.

“This is so... surreal.” mumbled Gray. “I mean, all my life I’ve dreamt of doing something meaningful. And now I’ve got the chance, I’m... kinda scared.”

Tobin raised an eyebrow. “For real?”

“Of course, dude. It’s a war. We could be killed. It’s serious stuff!”

He stared at the apple in his hand. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m not just doing it for myself though. I’ve got other things on the line, and I can’t just ignore them.”

“Mm.” Gray hummed. “You know, Tobin, I admire you.”

Tobin looked at Gray, who he hadn’t noticed had opened his eyes. “Really?” he asked, trying to disguise the bubble of happiness that those words had brought him.

“Yeah.” Their gazes met. Gray’s eyes were sincere, but a small smile played on his lips. “You’re a good guy. I know we tease you a lot—“

“It’s mostly you.” he interjected.

“—I tease you a lot,” Gray fixed him with a look. “but I love you.”

He paused, startled, as did Tobin. “I-I, mean, we love you.” he quickly rectified himself. “See, I wouldn’t have messed that up if you hadn’t corrected me!”

Tobin chuckled, dissolving into a fit of laughter, Gray following soon after. Their mirth rang out across the fields, washing away some of the anxiety the two of them shared, and Tobin felt a little less terrified of what’s to come. Gray usually helped him be a little less terrified.

Gray knocked his leg into Tobin’s and began to push himself off the ground. “We should get going.” He held out a hand to Tobin, who took it, smiling. Gray was smiling, too, the traces of his sunny youth still carved into his dimpled cheeks.

“Let me finish my snack and then we’ll go.” said Tobin, bringing the apple to his mouth.

“Geez, Tobin! You can’t keep procrastinating this.” Before Tobin could react, Gray had snatched the fruit from his hand and taken a (rather large) bite.

“Gray!!” whined Tobin, a hand on his hip. Gray chuckled through his mouthful. He tossed the apple back, Tobin catching it and only fumbling a little bit.

Gray swallowed his stolen treat, then hesitated for a moment, as if to say something, but he remained silent. Suddenly, he took off running across the field.

“Race you to the village!” he shouted over his shoulder, grinning.

Tobin watched him go, contemplating the bite marks of the apple in his hand, and toying with the feeling in his chest. It was a feeling Tobin hadn’t known before. The kind of feeling that would lead to a one-sided half-rivalry over a girl Tobin didn’t even love. A feeling that would lead to Tobin’s heart breaking in two every time Gray said her name. The kind of feeling that would spur him to take an arrow meant for Gray, leaving him in the arms of a saint and wondering if Gray would do the same for him.

But it was a feeling Tobin couldn’t live without, as he would discover in the end. Pocketing the apple and slinging his bag over one shoulder, he let the soles of his boots feel the grass flatten beneath them as he ran after his best friend.


End file.
